My Beloved Son
by Pavi's Only Girl
Summary: The Largo family takes a trip down in Pleasant Valley, GA. Little Pavi gets lost though but he is soon found by doctor Harper Alexander. After realizing that his family has probably stopped looking for Pavi, Harper decides to take care of him and soon he starts loving him like his own son...What will happen when Rotti finally finds Pavi and wants to take him back though?


They had packed everything. They would leave in a minute and only little Carmela was late, as usual. Little Pavi, age seven, had taken his mirror and thirteen-year-old Luigi a knife, just in case. Rotti was looking at his platinum watch. "Come, Carmela, already! What are you looking for, we will be late for the trip."

"Where is my doll...?" Little Mellie shouted from inside in a desperate voice that made Luigi scoff and Pavi roll his eyes. "Found it, I'm ready!" She shouted after a minute and run to them. They left GeneCo and everyone knew they would go to a small trip for three or four days to take a break and for Rotti to seemingly pay some more attention to his little children, especially little Carmela.

After what seemed like a whole day but in reality it was only five or six hours of driving, they reached a lural place, sunny, fresh, with flowers everywhere. They all got out of the car and GeneCo's driver, after taking orders from Rotti to come and pick them up in three days, took off and back to Sanitarium. "Now, where is the little hotel we were about to stay at?" Rotti asked looking around and spotted a small village. Carmela squealed happily and run around, gathering bouquettes of flowers playing and running around the trees. Luigi and Pavi just took small walks and got to know the place more. Rotti wandered, always having his kids in sight and found a sign with read ''Pleasant Valley population 2001''. He smiled. "That's the place." He said to himself. "Kids, gather around, here it is!" He shouted and Carmela and Luigi walked towards him. Rotti looked at them curiously. "Where's Paviche?" He asked worried. Luigi shrugged and little Carmela looked around, worried for her big brother. Rotti sighed. "This boy is a nightmare... Stay just right here, I'll go find him..." They both nodded and did as he said.

Pavi was walking along a little path, always looking down at the yellow/brown dirt of the South, never really realizing he had lost his way and had ended up behind Pleasant Valley... Rotti couldn't find him no matter how hard he tried and how much he shouted on top of his lungs. After an hour Rotti returned with his hair like a mess, his clothes hanging on his massive body as if he was tortured and sweat run along his forhead and face, dripping down his neck. "He's nowhere to be found... Luigi, did you do anything to him? You were together as Carmela played around..."

Luigi shook his head negatively. "Nope, pop. We were just walking and then I couldn't spot him anywhere." Carmela whimpered and Rotti looked at her worringly.

"Mellie? Did you see your brother anywhere?" She shook her little head negatively also and sniffled.

"What happened to him, daddy?" She asked with her innocent, soft, girly voice.

"I wish I knew, angel... I wish I knew.. We will find him though. Come on, let's head to town, someone must have seen him." He ordered and took his kids by their hands to lead them down to Pleasant Valley.

Pavi was wandering around, walking further away from Pleasant Valley for hours, looking at himself into his mirror and no one had seen him. He was all alone for hours. The evening came... Rotti and the kids were worried dead now. They had asked everyone in the village for a sight of his son, he had given them exact details of how he was dressed and how he was always caring his hand-mirror with him wherever he went. No body had seen anyone like that walking lost. At nightfall they had no other choice than to go to the hotel to reside and in the morning they would search for him again...

Four days passed and no trace of Pavi could be found. He himself was lost and slept under trees for days, drinking water from springs and eating fruits... As days passed by, Rotti returned home with Luigi and Carmela and ordered everyone to start searching for his middle son after returning to the place they had gone for some days off. Meanwhile, Pavi had waken up and wandered around Pleasant Valley, returning there after four days and nights, whipering.

Harper had just waken up too and was washing his face when he heard a little boy's cries. In Pleasat Valley they hadn't any young boy and he was surprised to hear cries from one. He raised an eyebrow and got out of his tent. A boy around seven was out of his tend, walking by it and sniffled, holding his hand-mirror down and frowning deeply. Harper frowned and felt his heart breaking, maybe for the first time in his life after seeing an child in Pavi's condition. He approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder, bending down to look at his wet and red from crying eyes. The resemblance was absolutely striking... Harper used to look exactly like Pavi when he was at his age.

"H-hey, little one..." Harper started with a whisper. Pavi looked up at him and sniffled, pouting childishly and frowned. "Are yeh lost, love? What are yeh doin' out 'ere alone, eh?" Harper continued.

Pavi cried more as he heard his soft voice, having missed affection for quite some time and nodded. "Y-yes s-sir... I am-m... H-h-help me..." He whispered between sobs and Harper frowned and hugged him. It was like he was another man, the harsh Southern Harper, thirsty for revenge for the Yanks was dead and now a softer one had taken his place.

"Aww, little angel... Come 'ere, Ah'll take care of yeh. Come on..." Harper said with a frown and took Pavi's hand, leading him into his tent as Pavi sniffled once more.

Pavi sat on a chair and Harper gave him a glass of fresh, cool water to drink and wiped his tears. "Better?" He asked him and Pavi nodded.

"T-Thank you s-sir..." He muttered shyly and Harper smiled calmly.

"Yeh can call meh Harpah, boy. And nah big deal. Hey, what happened tah yeh?" He frowned and sat opposite little Pavi ready to hear his story. After Pavi explained everything, how he had been on a trip with his family and how he had gotten lost, Harper nodded, frowning even more. "And now they're bein' lookin' fer yeh, right?" He asked when Pavi finished. Pavi shrugged.

"I-I... d-don't know-w, I h-haven't seen t-them f-for fours days..." He frowned deeply and sniffled. Harper frowned more and hugged him once more.

"It's alright, love, alright... Don' cry there..." He rubbed his back and then smiled a little, pulling back to look into Pavi's blue eyes. "Hey, kid, Ah got an idea. Wanna come tah the lake with meh and 'ave a good time?" He proposed and Pavi smiled for the first time after days and nodded.

"Y-yes. Thank y-you, mister Harper!" He smiled more and Harper chuckled, taking him by his hand.

"Jus' Harpah, son! Come now! We may see yer daddeh too, lookin' fer yeh as we walk." He said smiling and squeezed Pavi's little hand in his, gently. Pavi smiled and shrugged.

"I-I d-don't know if w-we will." He said timidly, looking up at Harper as they walked out of the tent.

Harper looked down at him. "We'll see. But fer the time bein' let's get yer mind off of yer problems." He smiled and Pavi let out a little chuckle for the first time.

As they walked, Pavi was picking up some flowers and smiled at butterflies passing by them. Harper was thinking, he didn't talk. He was by nature a harsh Southern man, a killer, bound to revenge every Northern that crossed his path. His fire of rage burned since the Civil War and every man or woman that crossed Pleasant Valley was unsuspected that every inhabitant there was in fact dead and risen only to revenge... So Pavi didn't know it. No one knew who those people were... Considering this, Harper would normally do two things. One, he wouldn't pay attention to a crying little one, like Pavi and two, he would kill him or her. But this wasn't the case this time. This time he felt some sort of winging in his heart. Something inside him made him smile at the sight of this little child, the scared, sad Paviche who was lost for days. He would take care of him...

They reached the lake and Pavi left Harper's hand, placing himself down on a rock. He rested his chin on his hands and watched as Harper sat next to him on the sand. After a minute, Harper sighed deeply and looked at the little Italian child. "So, tell meh 'about yeh, son..."

Pavi shrugged. "What d-do you w-w-want me t-to tell you?"

"Anythin' more to share other than that yer're from Sanitarium, son of... who, we said again?"

"Rotti Largo..." Pavi nodded quickly.

Harper nodded. "Rotti Largo, and yer brother and sister had joined yeh on the trip of yers... Why are yeh stutterin', darlin'?" He frowned.

Pavi sighed. "I... I w-was born this w-way, Harper..." He looked at him innocently and Harper felt his heart breaking again.

"Really?" He whispered. 'What the fuck...' he thought, 'Am Ah growin' tah like him now?'

But it was true, he was growing to love this child. Harper had no children, he wasn't even married, he only had a little flirt with some girls in Pleasant Valley. He had never even thought of having kids in his life. Whenever this issue came up in a conversation, he would scoff and smirk, saying that he was not at all a person for babies and parenthood was the last thing he needed in his life. But Pavi... There he came and made Harper's heart beat in a different rhythm.

Pavi nodded and shrugged. "D-dad actually d-doesn't-t l-love me... H-he doesn't love any of u-us. It's all a cover..." He frowned and looked down. "I-I'm sure h-he doesn't even s-searches for me... H-he saw that I w-was gone and found the opportunity h-he needed t-to leave me..."

Harper felt his eyes getting warmer and sniffled. "What... What are yeh tellin' me, Pavi? How can he not love yeh?"

"N-not only him... N-no one loves me, o-only m-my little sister, Carmela... B-but she's little now... I-I'm sure s-she will h-hate me too when she g-gets older..."

Harper shook his head. "Why are yeh sayin' that, little one? Ah don't even see the reason as tah why they would hate yeh, yer a little kid..." 'Am Ah sayin' this?' Harper thought. Yes, it WAS him saying those words out loud to a kid.

Pavi shrugged. Harper sighed and shook his head a bit again. "Okay, let's forget, shall we?" He smiled and Pavi smiled up at him, nodding. "Hm, would yeh like tah see how we catch fish?"

Pavi was amazed. He nodded with wide eyes and smiled. "Y-yes, p-please!"

Harper grinned and got up, taking the equipment he needed that he always kept in a little boat he had nearby the lake. Pavi followed him, smiling. Harper took his hand and sat on the old, empty boat, making room for Pavi to sit next to him. He threw the fishing pole into the lake and waited. "Now, we're gonna wait fer the fish tah come to us. See what Ah put on the pole's edge?" Pavi nodded curiously. Harper smiled and continued. "That was a little temptation fer the fish tah come tah us and we'll catch it! Wait and see!"

Harper looked enthusiastic about it. Pavi grinned and waited, getting also enthusiastic and started forgetting about how his father and siblings didn't come to find him. After some hours they had caught so many fish that were enough for three days. Pavi was clapping and Harper smiled. "Okay, that is enough, now, Pavi. Are yeh hungry?"

Pavi nodded, rubbing his belly. "Yes, v-very!"

Harper giggled and took his hand again, starting taking him back to the village. "We shall cook them and eat 'em then. Not all of 'em, of course, we will keep some fer next days too."

Pavi jumped and giggled. Harper felt complete for a reason he couldn't excatly specify. They walked and got into the tent again. As Harper put out what he needed to cook the fish, Pavi sat on a chair next to him, watching him closely. Harper didn't waste time to show him how he cooked and what was needed to be done. He explained him what each ingredient was and how he added it to make the fish tasty and nice and then he roasted it. Pavi was sniffing the fish that was being roasting every two seconds, his cheeks flushing and he was rubbing his belly, not able to wait until it was ready. Harper got close to him and stroked Pavi's raven black, shoulder length hair and smiled calmly.

"Will yeh lemme show yeh more things until yer dad comes tah find yeh?" he asked softly, almost whispering and Pavi nodded excitedly.

"M-more things...? I-I cannot i-imagine w-what else you c-c-could show m-me." He couldn't believe his ears; how could this man who met him only some hours ago, be even more affectionate than his own father was throughout his whole life? And he was a wild Southern gentleman for that matter. Harper nodded.

"Well, yeah, if yeh wan' to. There are many things that yeh might not know bein' from a big city." he shrugged and smiled and he got up to serve the fish and motioned to Pavi to come and sit down on the table he had prepared. He poured him some water and sat down close to him. Pavi started eating quickly and his eyes nearly got wet from how good the fish tasted. Harper laughed. "Easy there, boy, careful with 'em bones the fish has." Pavi nodded and kept eating, careful not to get his throat scratched and smiled when he finished. Harper grinned. "Good?"

Pavi nodded excitedly and grinned back to him. "Y-yes! Very g-good! Thank you, Harper!"

"No need tah, son, it's only a fish I gave yeh tah eat. Now, come 'ere." Harper got up and placed Pavi on the counter he had next to the sink where he cleaned the dishes and started cleaning them. Pavi watched him and smiled.

"I s-should h-help you..." He moved to get off and help Harper but the latter shook his head and placed a soft hand on Pavi's chest to have him sat down.

"No need tah do it, son, it's fine 'ere! We will clean 'em and then go out to show you more things. Yes?" Pavi nodded and grinned widely at Harper's suggestion.

They got out. Soon Pavi was giggling and grinning with his new friend. Harper showed him how they cut fruits from the trees, how the clothes were cleaned, how he took care of himself, by shaving his face and neck and told him how any man should take care of himself once they grow up. Pavi could say he had forgotten about his family and had the time of his life with Harper.

Nightfall came. It was about ten p.m. when Harper and Pavi returned back to his tend and Pavi was yawning from exhaustion from all the stuff he had done that day. Harper made his own bed for Pavi, having no other bed for anyone as he lived alone in his tent, not actually waiting for anyone to sleep with him. Pavi was too tired to try to convince him not to make his own bed for him and that he would actually sleep on a chair. Even though he didn't say it, Harper could see it in the little one's eyes and giggled, fluffing Pavi's hair. "Nah need tah worry, Pavi. Yeh will sleep here and Ah'll sleep on a comfy chair. Come then!" He smiled and placed little Pavi on his bed, covering him softly with his blanket after puffing the pillow to make it more comfortable for him and smiled, kissing his forehead softly, seeing Pavi smiling from this gesture. "Night night, Pavi." Harper whispered and sat on a chair at the other side of the tend. He was watching Pavi sleeping and he was smiling calmly, tilting his head to the side a bit and closed his eyes, drifting off softly.

Days past... Rotti was all over the place with Luigi. Little Carmela was in Sanitarium waiting for her brothers and father whilst Rotti was searching the whole place with security; at least a hundred people were in charge to search and find Paviche. Pleasant Valley was not the only place they searched at. Rotti assumed that Pavi would have wondered around and could have possibly reached another place. God knew where he was and Rotti had ordered the news to occasionally inform the viewrs of Paviche's missing so that if someone ever saw him, would call and inform them about it. No information was ever given...

Meanwhile, Harper had shown many things to Pavi that the poor boy hadn't even imagined in his life. They had played together a lot and Harper was rather distracted by his young friend; so much that he had forgotten all his other duties and people living in Pleasant Valley and his only interest was how to show Pavi new things, teach him about the politeness of the South, like how to treat the ladies, how to talk politely and nicely and many ways to be emotionally strong and stand on your own feet. He had taught him how to catch fish and birds in the air, how to catch a little animal, like a rabbit or a goat to eat and Pavi was excited. They were making each other's hair every day, they even went to meet the other people of Pleasnt Valley after days passed. Pavi was excited and the others were happy to meet him but Granny Boone was worried.

"How are yeh goin' tah keep him 'ere, they will be probably searchin' fer him..." Granny told Haprer one day when Pavi was playing with a puppy in the forest. Harper was close to keep an eye on him.

"I... I jus' will if they don't dome fer him. What am I supposed tah do, leave him out there tah die or something?"

"Yeh wouldn't care if it was any other person... What has he done tah yeh, Harpah?"

Haprer smiled and looked down. "I 'ave no idea..."

Pavi started running with the puppy but he fell and hurt his knee. Harper looked up at him and run to see if he had hurt more. Blood was trickling from Pavi's knee but he was only whincing in pain, he didn't cry or anything. Harper picked him up carefully and went to his tent to take care of the wound. Granny let them go inside and didn't say anything more. Harper was right. It would be a shame if he left this poor little boy alone now. In the tent, Harper had Pavi sit on his lap whilst Pavi wrapped his arms around him and put some anticeptics on the wound, closing it with a cleaned bandage. Pavi smiled softly at Harper and kissed his cheek for the first time. Harper froze and smiled at him, stroking his cheek softly.

"T-thank you, Harper. F-f-for everything."

Harper couldn't utter a word, he just moved forward and hugged little Pavi lovingly, stroking his back.

Pavi didn't know it was possible for a life like that to exist. The nature, the things he did with Harper, all the stuff he learned there... A person who loved him for real, even if he didn't know the reason for it... It was way different than the life he had as the son of the savior of the world and truth be said... he liked life with Harper way more.

More days passed like this, Harper and Pavi were playing and learning new stuff whilst Rotti's attempts to find his younger son were in vain... It was as if he was vanished from the face of Earth. Until two weeks passed... Rotti himself walked down Pleasant Valley to find his son. Pavi was gathering flowers in an attenpt to give them to Harper as a 'thank you' gesture. Rotti spotted him and run to him.

"Paviche!" He growled. Pavi froze. He turned and gasped as he saw his father, his heart stopping in his chest and went paler than ever. Rotti run to him and waited a moment before he slapped him hard across the face, causing Pavi to let the flowers he had gathered fall to the ground. Rotti was red with anger. "All these days... I'm looking for you! Where have you been? Why did you walk away from us?! WHY?!" He demanded and Pavi looked down. He didn't reply. Rotti slapped him once more and then looked at the flowers when he saw that Pavi covered his face and started sobbing. He was mostly sobbing from fear that his life with Harper would end now, so suddenly, now that he had loved him so much. Rotti growled and stepped on the flowers repeatedly, making Pavi sob more.

"W-why are you s-stepping on them...? T-they are for H-Harper..." He sobbed revealing his face, his eyes were now red and swollen from crying hard.

"Harper?!" Rotti barked. "Who is Harper? Tell me!" He grabbed Pavi's arms and shook him. "Who is he?" Pavi scaped and started running to Harper's tend where Harper was ready to cook for them. Harper got out hearing Pavi's screams and frowned deeply, taking him into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"Pavi? What is it, honeh?" He asked and pulled back to look at Pavi's wet face. "Aww, why are yeh cryin', beautiful?" He wiped his eyes and held him close. Rotti came from behind Pavi and Harper saw him. He took on a serious look and stood up, looking harshly at Rotti, only assuming who he could be, based on Pavi's descriptions.

Rotti snarled. "You are Harper, whom my son is talking of?"

Harper nodded once. "That would be me... You are his father then?"

Rotti nodded. "I am Rottissimo Largo, yes! And I am searching for him for two weeks. Now it's time to go home, son." Rotti stretched a hand and grabbed Pavi's shoulder but Harper subconsiously hugged him and tried to keep him close to him. Pavi sobbed against Harper's belly and snuggled him, not willing to let go of him. Rotti pulled him and Pavi screamed, stretching his free arm towards Harper to catch him but Rotti pulled him away and started walking fast away and to his guards to go back. Harper run after them. Pavi was severely sobbing now and his knees were bending causing him to fall down twice but Rotti grabbed him and walked away.

"N-no..! Let m-me hug him a-and say g-g-googbye to him, p-please!" Pavi screamed into his sobbing and broke Harper's heart to hear him. Rotti stopped suddenly and grabbed Pavi by his shoulders, shaking him furiously.

"I AM YOUR FATHER AND YOU WILL DO WHATEVER I SAY!" He yelled and Harper jumped.

"What 'ave yeh done fer yer son, sir?" Harper stood and shouted seriously. "Throughout his life... Do yeh think that he is happeh? Because he isn't!"

"And do you really think it's your business to interfere in one's family affairs?!" Rotti snapped at Harper, looking at him sharply.

"If yeh took the time teh actually talk tah him... only a minute... yeh would see that he's anything but happeh in his life. Do yeh think this is something tah be ignored?" Harper got closer and frowned.

"He is MY son, not yours to raise! And I will raise him right, like a Largo should be raised! Now goodbye and farewell!" He turned to leave again and Pavi screamed.

"N-NO! D-don't take me a-away from h-him... I love h-him..." Rotti stopped and sighed. Was it possible for Pavi to really be that hateful towards his old way of life and his father? Well, it was. He was really not willing to return and no matter how it hurt Rotti deep inside, it was clear that what Pavi wanted more in his life was to stay there.

Rotti looked at Pavi's desperate look and then Harper's. This man there was a wild Southern but he seemed to love Pavi more than he had ever loved anyone. Rotti saw it and no matter how hard he wanted to ignore it, he couldn't. Pavi was his son... Deep down, the only thing he wished was for him to be happy. Nothing more. He sighed and looked at Pavi. "I will miss you, Paviche... I will..." He let go of him and Pavi run to Harper, hugging him tightly and cried, whilst Harper hugged him back just as tightly and smiled, rubbing Pavi's back soothingly. "Prove yourself right and make him happy... As happy as I couldn't make him all these years..." Rotti said firmly and Harper nodded, smiling. Rotti motioned his guards to move and they got into the car, returning to Sanitarium without Pavi.

Harper watched them leaving and tears started forming in his eyes, he sniffled and let them run down his cheeks as he pulled a bit back, bending down to be in an eye level with Pavi. "Would yeh like meh to be yer dad, Pavi?" Harper asked softly and Pavi grinned, letting tears of happiness run down his cheeks now. He nodded repeatedly and squealed.

"Y-yes! Of course!" He grinned and Harper also did, hugging him tightly again. He swayed him a bit in his arms and chuckled happily. "I love y-you, daddy...!" Pavi said happily and Harper gasped a little. He smiled widely and looked at little Pavi, surprised that he had been called 'daddy' for the first time.

"I love yeh too, my son!" He whispered and chuckled, making Pavi grin. He whiped his eyes once more and took his hand, walking back to his tent. A new life had started for both of them and it was surely better than the one they had before they met each other.

Soon, Harper helped Pavi with his stuttering by telling him to try and use Italian accent in his speaking, since his true family was Italian and he had heard them talk, so he could do the accent perfectly. Pavi had nodded and tried to do it. His speaking got more gentle and sounded like a music, solving his stuttering problem and making him proud of himself. As he was growing up, Harper taught him how men took care of themselves, turning him slowly into a well-mannered young man, shaved, clean and handsome, like Harper was. As he was growing up more, he was becoming more like Harper in looks, they were nearly identical but they both liked it. Pavi was a charming man, taking this from Harper and soon he was the centre of all the girls' of Pleasant Valley conversations... as Harper also was...


End file.
